


i want it simple

by wingedseok



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: (kind of - you'll see), Confessions, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Lee Jihoon | Woozi is a Panicked Gay, Light Angst, M/M, Mutual Pining, Wen Jun Hui | Jun is a Chaotic Bi, mentioned jihancheol - seokhao - soonwoo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-13
Updated: 2020-05-13
Packaged: 2021-02-28 20:21:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,320
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23083129
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wingedseok/pseuds/wingedseok
Summary: The shopping trip turns out to be anythingbutsimple.
Relationships: Lee Jihoon | Woozi/Wen Jun Hui | Jun
Comments: 19
Kudos: 130
Collections: Seventeen Rare Pair Fest: Round 1





	i want it simple

**Author's Note:**

  * In response to a prompt by Anonymous in the [SVTRarePairFest](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/SVTRarePairFest) collection. 



> **Prompt:**  
>  Wen Junhui and his TERRIBLE puns and jokes and someone finally getting fed up because the jokes only make them realize how fond and in love they are, and they were definitely trying to not think about it. 
> 
> This other person could be Jihoon, because Jun had said how he likes to tease Jihoon specifically, but it's up to the author if they want to write someone else!
> 
> hello! i really hope you like this (: it doesn't have a lot of puns and stuff bc i'm horrible at those, but it's pretty soft, if i do say so myself. thank you to my beta for looking it over as well!

Jihoon is skilled at hiding his real emotions.

Repressing his feelings has come in handy plenty of times, but never more so when Junhui is around.

Admittedly, Junhui is the entire reason Jihoon is so good at keeping his emotions a secret in the first place, but Junhui doesn't know that. In fact, if Jihoon had to guess, he would say that Jeonghan and Jisoo are the only ones who have any idea about how he feels about Junhui and that is solely due to the fact that those two are the nosiest people he knows.

Bless Seungcheol's soul for putting up with those two. Jihoon is certain he could never handle being in the elder's position.

No, he would rather be here instead, arms crossed over his chest as Junhui keeps close to his side. Jihoon knows that if he was anybody else, Junhui would have an arm thrown over Jihoon's shoulders and lean most of his weight on him, but while Junhui can be crass at times, he is always respectful of people's personal boundaries. Especially Jihoon's.

Jihoon finds it both endearing and annoying. While it showcases the fact that Junhui cares about Jihoon's feelings enough to respect them, it also causes Jihoon's mind to run in circles trying to determine whether Junhui would be this considerate of others or if this is because he holds Jihoon in high regard. Jihoon would like to believe that Junhui is so mindful of his lines in the sand because he returns his feelings, but he also knows that it would be too good to be true.

Junhui constantly hovers around him and rarely initiates physical contact with him since Jihoon isn't all that welcoming about being touched in the first place, but so is Minghao and yet Junhui invades his personal space often anyway. Whether that is because Junhui likes the younger man too much to resist touching him whenever he can or because Junhui likes annoying him, Jihoon isn't sure.

Then again, Minghao has been dating Seokmin for close to a year now and Junhui may at any other time attempt to steal someone's boyfriend, but Jihoon knows Junhui would never try to pull a stunt like that if it were to affect Seokmin. Everyone has a soft spot for Minghao's boyfriend. Admittedly, he isn't the brightest crayon in the pack but he is kind and considerate, his smiles filled with enough happiness to spare. Jeonghan is the only one who still tries to play pranks on Seokmin in their group of friends but they are never cruel like they are when he plans pranks for their other friends.

Jihoon doesn't deny that he is especially nice to Seokmin either. There is something about his face that makes you want to be a good person. Jihoon doesn't know what exactly but whenever Seokmin is around, everyone is suddenly on their best behavior. Even Junhui, who is known for acting out and being obnoxious, settles down around Seokmin.

Still, maybe Junhui has a thing for _both_ Minghao and Seokmin? That might explain why he annoys Minghao so often and acts like an angel with Seokmin.

Or maybe Jihoon is just reading too much into Junhui's behavior again. That wouldn't surprise him in the least, considering the fact that he often over-analyzes Junhui's every movement. He remembers when he used to do the same thing with Mingyu back when he had a ridiculous crush on him. Thankfully, he knows better now than to ever think he could have a chance with someone like Mingyu when Junhui is around because while Mingyu is handsome and humorous, Junhui is all that and much more.

Junhui, who is grabbing hold of his sleeve and pulling him off the escalator when it becomes clear that Jihoon is lost in thought again. Jihoon feels his face warm as they turn to the left and start heading towards the closest shoe store, avoiding meeting Junhui's gaze all the way lest his blush worsens and Junhui takes to teasing him for it. That would ultimately give Jihoon's feelings away since Junhui would crack a dumb pun and Jihoon wouldn't be able to _not_ laugh at it - after all, he is so stupidly in love with him that a math equation would sound like music to Jihoon's ears if it was spilled from Junhui's lips.

"What are you thinking about getting?" Jihoon asks in an attempt to distract himself. 

He’s standing by Junhui's shoulder as the taller man leans forward to take a better look at one of the shoes on display. None of them are to Jihoon's tastes nor Junhui's so this must be intended as a gift. Or maybe Junhui is experimenting with his style again. If so, Jihoon will need to have another talk with Minghao about not enabling Junhui so much and so often because Jihoon is the one usually picking up the pieces. 

Jihoon still clearly remembers when Minghao convinced Junhui that art was the most important thing in the world and Junhui blew most of his money on an ugly painting so Jihoon had to lend him money to pay his rent the next month and rescale his entire budget. Jihoon was lucky enough to get some art snob to buy the painting for twice as much as what Junhui had paid for it, but Junhui would have been looking at six months' worth of debt if he didn't. He isn't going to let either of them forget that so soon.

Jihoon decides to pay close attention to what Junhui is looking to buy now.

Junhui picks up a yellow Converse shoe and doesn't even spare Jihoon a glance when he responds, "Your heart."

Jihoon blinks and feels his mouth drop open of its own accord, eyes wide as he stares at the back of Junhui's head. Junhui is a flirt by nature. If he isn't making stupid jokes, then he's pulling coy pick-up lines out of his ass and jokingly trying to woo everyone within sight. It should _not_ matter that this is the first time Junhui has ever tried one of those lines with Jihoon. And yet it does anyway.

Because this _is_ the first time Junhui has ever tried one of those pick-up lines on Jihoon. Jihoon had not minded the fact that Junhui never directed his flirting at him in the past, it came along with respecting his boundaries after all. Yes, of course, some days Jihoon did wish that Junhui would bat his lashes at him and let honey-sweet words spew out of his mouth as he talked to him, but he doesn't want Junhui to flirt with him just because he does so with everyone else.

Jihoon wants him to mean it.

He knows that he should probably make a smart remark and brush the dumb line off so that Junhui won't suspect anything, but his heart is beating too loudly in his ears and there is something caught in his throat when he tries to swallow. Jihoon knows he needs to get his act together fast, yet all he can think about is how badly he wishes for Junhui's words to be the truth. How much he _yearns_ for that to be even remotely possible.

He must have been silent for too long because Junhui looks over his shoulder at him, one brow raised in question as he sets the shoe down. Jihoon hastens to look away, smoothing his expression over even as dread builds within him. He curls his hands into fists to hide the fact that they are shaking and hunches into himself, his shoulders raising until they're level with his ears. He can only hope that Junhui wasn't able to glance at the longing he knows was clear on his face so he turns to the side, pretending to be interested in the wall of backpacks now in front of him.

"You shouldn't say things like that unless you mean them," Jihoon mutters, shifting until he isn't within arm's length of Junhui anymore.

He winces at the sound of his voice, hating how dejected and miserable he sounds. If Jihoon hasn't given himself away yet then his tone just did. There is absolutely no way Junhui can take Jihoon's words as anything other than the confession that they are. And if he did, all it would really do is break Jihoon's heart for good.

He's just so tired of pretending that he isn't in love with Junhui. They have been friends for years, ever since their freshman year in college. Junhui had a moderate grasp on Korean and still faltered in his pronunciation half the time, but he was kind and Jihoon needed that at the time. It was surprising how soon they fell together, their friendship blossoming easily with minimum effort on both their ends. His puns and jokes weren't half as funny as he thought but Jihoon laughed at them anyway because Junhui was his friend and Jihoon wasn't going to be the one to make him feel bad about not speaking Korean well when others already did that plenty of times in one day.

Really, it was no surprise that Jihoon fell in love with Junhui. Jihoon just hates how much that love has consumed him as the years went by. He can't help but look at Junhui fondly whenever their eyes meet or grumble when Junhui comes to him with an annoying problem he needs help with but give his aid anyway. Jihoon is probably always going to love Junhui and that realization makes him want to be far, far away from here.

Jihoon takes another step away and freezes as Junhui catches his sleeve, drawing him back into his space again. Warm fingers trail across the back of his hand before they intertwine with his own and Jihoon feels his breath stop. He doesn't dare look back at Junhui though. He isn't completely sure he could handle whatever may be waiting for him when he finally meets Junhui's gaze.

"But I do mean it, Hoon-ah," Junhui says, his voice so soft that it makes Jihoon's breath hitch and his heart practically skips a beat in his chest. "How don't you know this?"

"What?" Jihoon breathes, blinking in shock up at the taller man.

Junhui smiles but it isn't anywhere near as giddy as his usual smile. This one is different, more resigned than excited. Jihoon hates the sight of it on principle.

"You know that I like teasing you specifically, right?" Junhui asks.

Jihoon nods, unsure of where Junhui intends to go with this but willing to go along because he is stupidly gone for this man and it would be nothing compared to everything else Jihoon has ever done for him already anyway.

Junhui tilts his head to the side, his smile waning. "Haven't you ever wondered why that is?"

"No," Jihoon says and winces as he immediately realizes that was a lie. "Yes?" He tries again.

Of course, he has wondered what in the world ever possessed Junhui to admit that to their group of friends out loud. It was Valentine's day a few years ago and they had all decided to go bowling. Junhui and Jihoon were on a team against Wonwoo and Soonyoung and Junhui had picked Jihoon up and twirled him around in a circle after he had gotten a strike. Wonwoo had stared at them like they had gone insane and Soonyoung had only asked Junhui how he could ever be brave enough to invade Jihoon's personal space like that. Junhui had set him down and turned with a smile on his face to say, "Because I like teasing him. It's cute."

Jihoon had never forgotten that moment, always wondering what Junhui had even meant by that admission while simultaneously berating himself for having his hopes up. Now at least, Junhui might finally tell him and save Jihoon from more years' worth of contemplation and doubt.

"Because you look cute when you get flustered by it," Junhui admits, pulling Jihoon closer until the tips of their shoes meet. "You always look cute, Hoon-ah."

Warmth floods his face as joy lights him up from the inside. Junhui can't be saying what he thinks he's saying, can he?

"I like teasing you," Junhui continues, his smile softer than Jihoon has ever seen it before. "But I would never tease you about this. Promise."

He holds his pinky finger up, extended towards Jihoon to wrap his own around. Jihoon cannot help but smile at the sight of it, relief washing through him quickly.

Pinky promises mean something to Junhui. A pinky promise is like an oath on his life, a sign of the fact that Junhui may be childish at heart but he knows when to be serious as well. Junhui would never break one, no matter how difficult it may become to keep it.

Jihoon intertwines their pinkies together after another moment has passed, chancing a glance up at Junhui before looking away again. Junhui smiles at him, letting his hand drop from Jihoon's sleeve but keeping their pinkies locked together as he turns back to the shoes on display. Jihoon mirrors him, his face feeling entirely too warm as he remains steadfast by Junhui's side.

"Do you think Jeonghan would like these?" Junhui asks as he picks up the yellow Converse again.

Jihoon looks at the shoe before he looks at Junhui and nods, biting his lip to keep himself from snarking about Jeonghan's fashion choices. Now isn't the time for that. They should probably talk more about what’s going to happen between them, but Jihoon decides that they can let things fall naturally into place instead of having an embarrassing conversation where Jihoon will have to admit about his own pining and feelings. That has embarrassment written all over it and Jihoon is no fan of that.

This is much better anyway.

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading! 
> 
> [tumblr](https://hungline.tumblr.com) | [twitter](https://twitter.com/wingedseok) | join my [discord](https://discord.gg/Q7S5QcF)


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